


Sword of the Red Dragon

by Stratagem



Category: Akatsuki no Yona | Yona of the Dawn
Genre: F/M, Gen, Manga Spoilers, origin story of the sword, sword of prophecy
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-04-04
Updated: 2017-05-02
Packaged: 2018-10-14 22:35:30
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 6
Words: 7,308
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10545484
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Stratagem/pseuds/Stratagem
Summary: "When the four dragons are gathered, the sword and shield which will protect the king shall awaken, and the Red Dragon shall restore the dawn at last."After hearing rumors that people from Kouka are being taken to a nearby island and sold as slaves, Yona, the Dark Dragon and the Happy Hungry Bunch go to investigate. Yona's presence awakens the sword of the prophecy in the form of an enslaved bodyguard. Will they be able to free the slaves of the island and take the sword with them? Will the sword embrace her strange new destiny?





	1. Prologue

**Author's Note:**

> Disclaimer: I do not own Yona of the Dawn! I'm simply obsessed with it right now.
> 
> A/N: I just finished the manga up to its current chapter, so I had to start a new story. I'm still continuing my others! This idea just wouldn't leave me alone. It's set after the current arc in the manga, from Chapter 138 (as if that chapter was already concluded). So, there will be spoilers for the manga! Also, I know the Suzaku in Japanese mythology is usually portrayed as male, but yeah, I'm going with female because there's need to be more girl representation in AkaNoYona.

"You are too late, Suzaku..."

The firebird lowered her head at the dragon's words, the untamed flames of her wings dimming. Surely not. Had it been so long since the Red Dragon had left the heavens for a life in the dirt and muck of the mortal world?

The four dragons stood like statues around the reflecting pool that let them see what was happening in the mortal realm without having to travel there. Each of them had their heads bowed. Sorrow was etched in their brightly colored scaled features, and pearly tears dripped into the pool, creating ripples across the reflected scene.

In the image on the water's surface, four men were gathered around a bed, grief that mirrored the dragons ravaging each of their faces. The human body of the dragon king lay like an abandoned husk on the bed. Hiryuu…

"That is not possible," Suzaku said, landing on Ryokuryuu's broad head, her talons latching onto one of his antlers. "Mere days have passed. Humans are not so frail—"

"Silence, firebird," snarled the white dragon, lifting his head to glower at her. "Days have passed here, but in the realm of men, it has been many years. He aged. He _died_."

Oh. What an odd, impossible concept. Dragons did not die.

Suzaku brushed a wing against Ryokuryuu's head as he shuddered, trying to comfort him although such things were foreign to her. A human's life was like the flash of a butterfly's wing to her, pretty and attractive for a moment but so brief that they hardly mattered. But surely Hiryuu would have lasted longer than a normal human. He was a former dragon, after all.

"He is gone, little one," rumbled Ryokuryuu, as if he could hear her thoughts.

"No," she said simply as a deep sorrow welled in her delicate chest, "He can not be gone. He mustn't…"

Ryokuryuu shook his head. "Suzaku...dear..."

"Don't make it worse, bird," grumbled a voice from the ground. Down by the edge of the reflecting pool, the irreverent Black Tortoise, Genbu, had appeared. He was leaning against Ouryuu, as if holding up the dragon while he sorrowed. "He's gone. Let them grieve."

Oh…oh… Her wings fluttered, and she found herself leaning against Ryokuryuu's antlers. Hiryuu. She remembered long days in the fields and palaces of the heavens, playing and laughing and flying free. They had hidden in the fires of the earth and sprang into the sky, lively and wild.

How could such a soul be gone without the world breaking?

The hollowness grew within her, tearing her as the loss of her friend took hold. The feeling spread throughout her, foreign and unwanted, until it grew through her chest, up her throat, and out of her as a fiery song of anguish. Her fire did not allow for tears, but her voice carried the wail of one who has lost something irreplaceable. The cry of one who has not known such despair before.

She took to the air, her flames blazing around her as the wind carried her song, letting every inhabitant of the heavens know what had happened and what they had lost that day.

 _Her gift._ Her gift was too late. She had been planning to give Hiryuu something to help him during his life as a human, but the days of mortals had passed too quickly. The dragons had given their blood to mortals to protect him while she had idled her time away.

She would not fail him again. When the dragon king's blood reawakened in someone worthy, she would send her gift.

Her blazing sword would help the red dragon of the dawn once more.


	2. Chapter 2

Port Ayers was the bustling and crowded main city on Dyael, a small jewel of an island island off the coast of the Earth Tribe's territory. The island had once belonged to Kouka Kingdom, but during rule of King Il, they had declared their independence and started self-rule. Since King Il was so opposed to violence, it had simply been easier for him to allow them to govern themselves instead of sending ships and troops to bring the island back under the control of the crown.

Yona had heard of the island, but until recently it had only been vague mentions with very few concrete details. Her father hadn't cared about the island, so she had written it off as an unimportant topic back when she was at the castle. Now, however, standing in the marketplace of Port Ayers, she wished she had paid more attention to things that had been said about the island.

"Stay close," Hak said for perhaps the dozenth time since they had disembarked from the ship that had carried them to the port. He kept looking around, his dark blue eyes seeking out threats and danger.

Yona didn't have to be told to not go off on her own. The port had an oppressive feeling to it underneath its façade of a bright and happy ocean town. Half of the people seemed to be wearing chains and marks on their faces while others were dressed in extremely rich clothes. There were also travelers and wayfarers from other countries, and people were speaking in languages that Yona had never heard before.

Their group had split up when they had reached the market, though they had plans to meet back up at a suggestive statue of a mermaid in about an hour. Yoon, Yona, Jae-ha and Hak were looking for food and medicine while Shin-Ah, Kija, and Zeno hunted for a cheap inn where the group could sleep for the night.

"I think we should just get some supplies for the night and come back in the morning," Yoon suggested, "It's getting late, and I don't like the look of this place."

"I think it _looks_ fine," Jae-Ha said, "It's simply the underlying feeling that disagrees with me."

So Jae-Ha had noticed it too. They probably all had. It was like a film on Yona's skin, a feeling that there was something seriously wrong with the port city. She had only been there for a few hours, and she already knew that she had a lot of work to do.

They walked past a platform and Yona stopped, drawn to the suffering on the faces of the people who were huddled up on the stage. Fire burned in her eyes as a man in bright purple clothes and a furred coat grabbed one of them, a young woman, and forced her forward by her long blond hair. "Look here, she's a nice young one. Heard from a good source that she was a cook back in Kouka, sure she'd be good in the kitchen here too." He grabbed her face and forced her to look up, his fingers squeezing her cheeks. "Got good teeth in her mouth. Pretty enough. Who wants to start the bidding?"

Yona jerked forward, her hand going to the blade beneath her cloak, but Hak reached out and stopped her. His expression was dark as he watched the bidding for the poor girl on stage begin. Beside Yona, Yoon had two hands wrapped around Jae-Ha's arm, in case he decided to go rescue the young woman. Judging by the tension emanating from him, that was exactly his plan.

"Let go, Yoon," Jae-Ha said, his smile taking a dangerous turn.

"No," Yoon said quietly, "If you try to start trouble now, we won't be able to help everyone later. We'll get arrested. We have to come up with a plan instead of rushing into this. You don't rush anyways, so calm down."

"Same for you, princess," Hak said, gently squeezing Yona's arm.

"But that girl…" Yona felt torn. She wanted to rescue her now instead of letting her and the others be dragged off into slavery.

"I know," Hak said, "But our whole reason for being here is to stop the slave trade altogether, right? So we have to wait."

That was so much harder than he made it sound. With a concentrated effort, Yona turned away, tuning out the girl's muffled cries. She glared at the ground so hard and with so much intensity that Hak had to reach over and make sure her hood covered her face. She would grab too much attention with that expression on her face.

They walked back in the direction of the mermaid statue, keeping an eye out for food stalls on the way. No one really wanted to be in the marketplace anymore, but they still needed to eat that night. Yoon spotted a stall with vegetables right beside a stall with meat, and he pointed at it.

"I'm going over there," he said, "You three stay here, you'll attract too much attention."

"I want to go," Yona said, needing something to get her mind off the expression of the girl on the platform.

"Then I guess we're all going," Hak said, sounding firm and unyielding. Yoon sighed.

"Fine, but we're going to stick out more if you all come."

"Lead the way, Yoon," Jae-Ha said, motioning for the boy to take the lead.

Unhappily, he led them toward the two food stalls, but when they were halfway there, a woman stepped out in front of Yoon. He bumped into her, and immediately there was a thin, razor-edged sword pointed at his chest. The sword was held by a petite, young woman with long black hair and dark blue eyes, a bland expression on her face that contradicted the way she standing at the ready to kill Yoon.

The atmosphere became electrified as the group froze, fear for Yoon warring with anger at the sword pointed at his chest. It was too close, and Hak was unsure if he would be fast enough to knock it away before the girl could kill Yoon.

Then the sword was sheathed and the girl was standing with her head bowed at the woman's right elbow. "Ma'am," she murmured, "He's not a threat."

"I believe that I am the judge of that. Boy," the woman said, tilting her head to the side. She was tall and gorgeous, with a sharp face and bright green eyes, the color of a venomous snake's skin. "Why did you touch me?"

"I didn't mean to," Yoon said, hesitant, "It was an accident. I'm sorry, though."

Hak glanced over at the girl beside the woman. Her eyes were on him and his wrapped glaive, and he knew that if he moved at all, she would unsheathe her sword again. There was no doubt that she was this woman's bodyguard.

Jae-Ha took his time looking at the girl with the sword, taking in the simple brown and blue outfit she was wearing, as well as the sturdy sandals and the wraps on her arms. He didn't miss the heavy cuffs on her wrists, the ones that had an extra ring on the outsides, or the thick bands around her ankles. She must've noticed him staring, because her gaze had switched from Hak to him, and now her blue eyes were blazing. It was a clear warning that he shouldn't pity her. He didn't look away or let her win the staring match; he simply held her gaze.

"Mei, show him that accidents like that are unacceptable," the woman said, sounding as if she was ordering her slave to go get her a drink instead of dishing out punishment.

The slave, Mei, didn't move immediately. "Ma'am, we're going to be late to your meeting."

That was odd, Jae-Ha thought. Why hadn't she immediately followed her master's commands? Was she…trying to distract her master?

The woman waved a hand in the air and then produced a diamond-studded whip from her sleeve's pocket. "Mei. He assaulted me. Deal with it." She held out the whip to her slave, and Hak could see bits of diamonds or glass had been woven into the leather thongs. There was no way that he was going to let either of these people hurt Yoon, but he also had to make sure Yona was protected. Of course, by the look on her face, he imagined that the princess was moments away from shooting an arrow at the older woman.

Mei didn't move again. "Ma'am, your husband will be displeased…"

The whip whistled through the air toward Yoon, and Yona gasped and reached out for Yoon. Jae-Ha and Hak had moved in front of the boy and pushed him backward, but the bodyguard had grabbed her master's hand. The whip swing had come up short, missing all of them.

The slave's eyes were bright as she looked up at her master. "I have been instructed by the master to make sure you're not late this time, mistress. This is an insignificant distraction, not worth your time—"

 _Crack_. A ringed hand connected with the girl's face, breaking open the skin above her cheekbone and forcing her to look away. Mei looked down, and blood dripped down her cheek.

Yona felt the need to go to her, to help her, to tell the older woman that it was completely unacceptable to treat her servant like that. But Hak had grabbed her hand again, forcing her to stay by his side.

"I will deal with you at the villa, Mei," the woman said, her voice a deadly whisper, "Now lead me."

"Yes, m'am," the girl said, straightening up. She turned to look forward again, and her eyes briefly met Jae-Ha's. " _Go_ , _now_ ," she mouthed silently to him before escorting her mistress away.

"I officially hate this place," Yoon said once the woman and her bodyguard had disappeared into the crowd.

"We're going to fix it," Yona said with conviction, "Starting with that girl."


	3. Chapter 3

From the stall keepers in the market, Yona and the others learned that the woman who had tried to attack Yoon was named Lady Ahn Eun-ah.

"You were lucky she didn't have that girl of hers skewer you, boy," said one grumpy old woman as she laid out a few more fish at her stall, "Lady Ahn's about as forgiving as a wall of granite and more dangerous than a chair made of razors."

"Sounds lovely," Hak said. He was leaning against a wall behind the stall while the others talked to the woman. His eyes constantly roved, making sure the woman didn't send anyone back to take care of the job that the girl had refused to do. Like Jae-Ha, he had noticed the cuffs on the girl's wrists and ankles. Going against her master's orders wouldn't result in anything positive for a slave.

"Oh, yes, she's lovely all right," the old woman said. She slapped a fish down on a wooden cutting board and chopped its head off with one quick, violent motion. The head flew off, and Jae-Ha had to tilt his own head to the side to dodge getting smacked in the face. "Lovely and deadly. Like a pit viper." She waved the knife around angrily. "She and that husband of her's are the reason why this island has gone to the dogs."

"What do you mean by that?" Yoon asked, leaning back to avoid her knife.

"You don't know?" The old woman gave a dark chuckle. "Thought even foreigners would've heard of Lord Ahn. He runs this island now, and he's the one in charge of that nasty slave trade." She shook her head and dropped the knife into a slot in the table. "Brings slaves in, ships them out. His business keeps the island running, but the price…"

Jae-Ha and Yoon glanced at each other before looking at Yona. There was a flame of determination and revolution burning in her eyes, familiar to their entire group but probably somewhat intimidating to the old woman.

"Eh? Eh?" She peered at Yona, narrowing her eyes. "What's gotten into you, girlie? Look like you swallowed a hot coal."

"Where do these people live?" Yona asked, "Where's their home?"

"That gaudy mansion? It's like a crow's house, covered in baubles and jewels they stole." The woman waved a hand covered in discarded fish scales down one of the nearby lanes. "Take that road to the Gold District. Their place is the biggest eyesore you've ever seen, surrounded by a monstrous wall." She shrugged. "Don't know what you want you the place, they'll kill you all if they see you again."

"We'll make sure to only visit if we develop a death wish," Hak said, shooting a frown at Yona that she totally ignored. Stubborn princess.

"Are you lot going to buy anything?" the old woman demanded, waving half a fish at them, "You're gumming up my shop like a bunch of useless guppies!"

After buying enough fish to satisfy the old lady and feed their group that night, the four of them headed off in search of the others.

"Now we know who we're up against," Yona said quietly as they walked through the town. She noticed that half of the people kept their gazes down and wore the same kinds of cuffs around their wrists and ankles that the bodyguard with Lady Ahn had been wearing. Those were slave rings, weren't they? So many people…

"And that's all we know," Yoon said, shaking his head, "We don't have nearly enough information to do anything it just yet."

"Then we'll have to do some investigating!"

"And what're you planning to do, princess?" Hak asked, glancing over at Yona, "March up to the Ahn household and demand they tell you all about their business? Solid plan."

"No," Yona said, "But I think we could find someone to talk to. Like that girl Lady Ahn had with her."

"The one who almost stabbed me?" Yoon asked, his eyebrows shooting up his forehead.

"She's also the one who kept you from getting whipped," Jae-Ha said. He looked over at Hak, his eyes dark. "Which certainly won't turn out well for her."

"You think she'll be punished, don't you," Yona said, "For disobeying Lady Ahn."

"Doubtlessly," Jae-Ha said, "She went against her master openly, which is almost certainly forbidden. So we wouldn't be able to talk to her anyways, Yona dear."

"They probably won't kill her, but she'll most likely be locked up somewhere or beaten. Or both," Hak said, "I'd say both." He hated exposing Yona to that kind of knowledge about the world, but she deserved to know the truth. It wouldn't be easy to stop a slave trade, something he had told her multiple times on their journey there. Slave trades were lucrative for the bastards who ran them, and they kept themselves well protected. It was a dirty business run by the worst of people.

"We need to save her, then," Yona said, "We should rescue her or something."

"Yona, Hak just said she'd probably be locked up," Yoon protested, "And hurt. How're we supposed to rescue her?"

"We'll figure out something," Yona said, lifting her chin in determination. "We'll come up with a plan."

Hak sighed. "Princess, I know you want to help her. That's noble and good. But we're at a disadvantage here, and you'll put yourself and her in danger if you rush into this."

"I don't want to allow her to suffer, Hak," Yona said, "No one should have to be kept like that."

"Yoon and I will go tonight and assess the situation," Jae-Ha said, "If that makes Yona dear feel better. And then we can figure out a way to rescue her after we know more."

"How come I'm going?" Yoon asked.

"Because your brain will be useful," Jae-Ha said. And also his ability and skill with healing herbs and his gentle hands would be useful if it came to the worst scenario, the one that Jae-Ha thought was likely.

"You'll have to be careful," Hak said.

"Oh, Thunder Beast, you do care!" Jae-Ha exclaimed, which got him a quick jab in the side from Hak.


	4. Chapter 4

"We'll just sleep outside, then," Yona said defiantly.

The whole Kouka kingdom group was standing in an alley on the outskirts of town, discussing their options, or really lack thereof, for the night.

The others had found out that there were only three inns on the small island, with two being in the port town, and all three used slave labor instead of regular workers. It was cheaper for them and the slaves could be forced to work longer and harder. Yona didn't want to stay anywhere that would benefit someone who owned slaves. However…

"We can't," Yoon said reluctantly, "We don't want to stay out in the open here, and there aren't any wooded areas. It would be too easy for someone to attack us, and that'd call a lot of attention since we would end up fighting back and utterly destroying them."

"We've slept outside before in a dangerous situation, back in Awa," Yona protested.

"Right, but Awa wasn't an island," Yoon said, "If someone chases us, we can only go so far…"

"It would only be for a few nights," Hak said.

Yona crossed her arms over her chest. "It isn't right. Not when we came here to help end the trade. That woman at the market made it sound as if most people here didn't like that this island supports slavery."

Jae-Ha looked over her. "She could have been lying. Or they might not like it, but that doesn't necessarily mean they don't take advantage of the system." He shrugged. "It's probably easier for them to go along with it than to stand against it."

"That's horrible," Kija said.

"It's the real world," Hak said darkly, "It's how some people work." Or lots of people. The old fishmonger lady might personally not have liked the way slavery affected her island, and there were almost certainly some people who agreed with her.

But there might be just as many who disagreed and didn't see a problem with the slave trade, or they might just see an advantage in going along with it. People tended to cash in their morals when there was a good profit and not many repercussions.

"I know you're against it, Yona, and I don't really want to either, but I think we'd fit in better if we stayed at an inn," Yoon said, "Which would be good since we already sort of stick out."

"I'm just too attractive," Jae-Ha teased.

They ended up staying at the cheaper of the two inns in town and only rented one room with no extra services.

"You're sure you don't want dinner brought to you?" the innkeeper asked, smiling at them. She tucked her hands into her sleeves. "Our chef is from Kouka, so you might find his tasty creations familiar to you."

"No, thank you," Hak said before Yona could demand to know if the chef was a slave or not, "We brought our own food."

"All right, then," the woman said. She gestured to the young man and woman standing beside her. Both of them were wearing metal bands around their wrists and ankles, and they kept their heads down. "If you need anything, be sure to ask Jade or Onyx. They'll be outside in the hall and help you find whatever you need."

Once the innkeeper left and the two slaves followed her out, Yoon made a face. "Those can't be their names. She must have renamed them."

"We'll find out their real names, then," Yona said. She ran her hand over Ao's fluffy back as if to calm herself down and took a deep breath. Recklessness wasn't going to help anyone. They needed a real plan to take down the slavery system on the island, and it made sense to start with the family who ran the business. If they could just talk to that girl from the market place, maybe they could find out some of the family's weaknesses and figure out how to bring them down.

Besides, Yona had a bad feeling about what would happen to her after that scene in the market. There had to be some kind of terrible punishment for being so openly defiant. Why hadn't she followed her master's orders? There were too many questions, and that girl might at least answer some of them. They had to start somewhere, after all.

Night fell and torches and lanterns were lit across the town as if the darkness brought a new life into the streets. The noise ebbed and rose outside of their room's window as they ate their small but filling meal.

"It's loud out there," Yoon said as he looked out the window. Down below, a group of men stumbled out of a bar and into a red-clothed shop across the street. A deep drum was being played somewhere far away, and a sweet melody drifted up to the room. It sounded like a party was starting, but when Yoon looked closely, half of the people had a quiet desperation or hopelessness about them.

There was a darkness here that had nothing to do with the sunset.

"I wonder what this place used to be like," he said, and then glanced over at their resident long-lived immortal. "Have you ever visited here before, Zeno?"

"No." He shook his head, his eyes sad. "But I've heard of it many times. Dyael's been a popular place to visit on and off, but I've never been here. There are a few songs about the island, and they're nice…" He leaned back, resting against the wall. "They definitely don't describe it like it is now."

"Do you remember how any of them go?" Kija asked.

"Mmm…" Zeno rubbed his hand against his head and then nodded. "Yeah, Zeno can remember one. It can be a lullaby."

"Aren't we all a little old for bedtime songs?" Hak asked.

"Let our ancient grandpa sing," Jae-Ha teased, "It makes him feel extra useful."

Zeno rolled his eyes at Jae-Ha and held up his hands. "All right, then, children, get in bed." He picked up a pillow and tossed it at Shin-Ah. "Bed, Seiryuu!"

Once all of them were in bed besides Jae-Ha and Hak, Zeno began to sing. His calm, tenor voice floated through the room, weaving images of sparkling blue water, bright ship sails, and tall, waving grass. The song carried them off to sleep gently, like a coracle drifting off to sea.


	5. Chapter 5

Yoon awoke to Jae-Ha gently shaking him by the shoulder. "Let's go."

"Mmm…" Oh right. Surveying the situation. He crawled out from his bedroll, the warmth he left behind trying to convince him that he didn't really need to go. But two people going was safer than one, he supposed, though honestly it would be better if one of the other dragons went with Jae-Ha. They were better in a fight, after all. Then again, they didn't want to get in a fight just yet, so perhaps he really was the best choice. Trouble seemed to follow everyone else like a hungry stray dog.

Jae-Ha handed him his bag, and Yoon tossed it over his shoulder before sliding his feet into his boots. It was probably around midnight and the room was dark, but there was dull light coming from the window. The torches in the street were still lit.

In a few moments, they were soaring through the shadows, keeping away from the lights, staying out of sight. The plan was to go to the Ahn residence in hopes of secretly meeting and talking with the girl from the market. Or, at least, they could figure out where the Ahn house was. It wasn't like they could just go to the door and ask to talk to the slave girl, unless the person who answered the door was a slave, too?

Jae-Ha thought they could just sneak in to the Ahn compound, but Yoon believed that there would be more than a few obstacles in their way. Rich people protected themselves, after all. And what if the girl didn't want to talk to them? There went their informant. Just because she had sort of helped them wasn't necessarily an indicator that she would be an accomplice or anything. That would be incredibly dangerous for her, and even if there was a chance that she would be free soon, she might not want to take that chance. He couldn't help but feel they were rushing into this.

Oh well, Yona wanted them to try finding the girl, so here they were. Flying around on a Yona-Mission. Actually the princess had originally wanted them to just go ahead and grab the girl but that wasn't happening. That would call way too much attention to them, and it wasn't as if they knew the girl or anything, as harsh as that sounded. Besides, it would be better if she could be a spy for them. They had to be logical and not be swayed by their emotions, which wasn't always Yona's strong point.

Yoon quietly complained about the lack of a solid plan to Jae-Ha while they headed in the direction of the Gold District that the old fishmonger woman had mentioned. "We should have come up with a plan before we even came to this island. Now we're out in the middle of the night, looking for a girl who might not even help us…"

"You know it's easier to form a plan when you can actually see what's going on," Jae-Ha said, "There were rumors, but nothing truly concrete. As for what we're currently doing, well, I think Yona wants to help her because she kept you from getting hurt."

"Really?" Yoon readjusted his grip around Jae-Ha's shoulders and frowned. "I don't know how we're going to do that. Help her, I mean. She probably won't trust us."

"We'll figure something out," Jae-Ha replied. He skidded to a stop on a fancy rooftop of one of the enormous Gold District compounds, and they both stared across the way at the biggest mansion in the area. It was humongous and situated in the middle of a massive compound, as if there was a city behind the twelve foot tall wall that encircled the place. All of the buildings were painted bright purple, and it looked like someone had gotten far too excited with the gold gilt trim and designs. There were even guards patrolling the wall, and a guard tower was set into the wall, near the front entrance.

"That's…"

"Obnoxious," Jae-Ha said, making a face, "I'm not surprised they don't have any taste, though."

"I guess we'll have to go back," Yoon said, "Since we don't want the guards to see us, and you'd be jumping blind."

"Or we'll have to time the jump perfectly," Jae-Ha said, "And aim beyond the wall for a hideous roof on one of those ugly peacock buildings."

"No way, you're insane—"

Yoon's protest was cut off as Jae-Ha launched into the air, soaring over the guards, the tower, and the wall then landing gracefully on a rooftop. Before anyone could come out to investigate the noise, Jae-Ha jumped again, setting down in a lush night-blooming garden this time. He ducked behind a bush, and Yoon climbed down from his back before shoving him in the shoulder.

"Give a little warning, Green."

Jae-Ha smirked at him. "There wasn't any time."

"Make time." He flicked his gaze around, obviously prepared to be set upon by guards at any moment.

Instead, he was startled to see an elderly man standing on the garden path that just happened to be behind them. Shocked, he had lost his grip on a watering can, and it was now pointing spout-down and dribbling onto the stones.

Jae-Ha was moving in an instant. He clamped his hand over the old man's mouth, taking quick note of the metal bands that encircled his wrists. There was a chain attached to one of the man's ankle bands, and it trailed off down the path, presumably to its anchor point. "Don't yell, please. If I let go, are you going to scream or do anything unpleasant?"

The old man shook his head, and Jae-Ha cautiously pulled his hand away. "You here to steal stuff?" the man asked, sounding excited about the possibility.

"Not yet," Jae-Ha said.

"That's too bad. I'd like you better if you were." The man squinted at them, looking first at Jae-Ha and then at Yoon. His eyes widened at the sight of Yoon, and he blinked, his skin turning pale. There was a long awkward silence before the old man rubbed his knuckles into his eyelids. He sighed and looked back at Jae-Ha. "What're you here for, then? You're probably going to get me killed if someone finds you, so it better be good. Make it worthwhile. Gonna torch the place?"

"Again, not yet," Jae-Ha said, "Though that's a good idea."

"Maybe I should start yelling if you're not gonna burn the place to the ground."

"We're working on it. Who knows, maybe arson will be next on our to-do list. We're versatile."

"We're looking for a girl," Yoon said, putting them back on the right course, "She was in the market today with Lady Ahn, and she sort of helped us. We just wanted to make sure she was okay."

"So you _are_ the kid from the market," the old man said, looking at Yoon pointedly, "Of course you are." He waved a hand at them. "You should go. You'll only get Mei in more trouble. She's paying for this afternoon already."

"We could help her," Yoon said quietly, guessing that the young woman had been severely punished, "I'm a healer. Sort of."

The old man stared at the two of them and then made a face. "Who are you people? You're not thieves, you're not arsonists. Only reason I'm not turning you is 'cause I'm guessing you're enemies of the Ahns, or you wouldn't be sneaking around here, right?" They didn't answer him, but their lack of response must have satisfied him. "Why you wanna bother Mei?"

"She kept Lady Ahn from hitting me," Yoon said, "I owe her." And Yona wanted and needed an informant. So, see, they were knocking out two birds with one stone.

The old man crossed his arms over his chest for a long moment and then nodded toward Yoon. "You've got good medicine then, right? Something for wounds?"

Yoon decided to avoid the sarcastic route and settled for a nod. "It'll help her heal a lot quicker."

The old man sighed and rubbed a rough, scarred hand over his face. "I'm gonna regret this." He gave a low whistle, and a few moments later a little brown-haired boy came running down the path. Skidding to a halt, he stared at Yoon and then took a couple steps back.

"He's that kid from the market," the old man said as he grabbed the boy by the shoulder. "Take these two to the yard and let them see Mei."

"But Hae-Dan…"

"It'll be all right. I'm getting a good vibe from them."

"Mei says you make up everything about your vibes—"

"Respect your elders," the man snapped, "Make sure you go the long way so you don't get spotted by the night guard or any informants."

The kid was still staring up at Yoon, but he managed a nod. "Sure, Hae-Dan."

So now they were going deeper into the compound. This really was the best plan ever, Yoon thought to himself, soooo well thought out. He was going to have to thank Yona for sending them on this well-planned mission.

 


	6. Chapter 6

The kid led Yoon and Jae-Ha through the compound, keeping to the shadows and switching paths at random. It seemed like he knew each step he should take in order to keep out of the sight of the guards. Eventually they came to a long building at the back of the compound. It wasn't as gaudy as the other buildings, and it seemed to have been built for functionality rather than beauty. There was a light glowing in one of the windows, but there was a cloth draw over it so they couldn't see what was going on.

"Come on," the boy said, gesturing for them to keep following. He went around to the back of the building, where there was a fence, and he knocked softly at a gate.

The gate opened just a crack to reveal a girl's face. She was older than the boy but not by much. She was probably around thirteen years old, if Yoon had to guess. "What are you doing?" she demanded, looking at Yoon and Jae-Ha before glaring back at the boy. "What are they doing here? Who are they?"

"This is the guy from the market," the boy said, pointing at Yoon, "And Hae-Dan said to bring them here."

The girl's nostrils flared. "They can't come in here. Send them away."

"They came to see Mei," he said.

"Well, they can't," the girl snapped. She started to close the gate, but Jae-Ha stuck his right foot out and blocked it.

"Hello, there," he said, giving her one of those winning smiles of his, "I know you don't have a lot of reason to trust us yet, but we're here to help your friend Mei. We promise."

"I don't care," the girl growled. She tried to push the door closed but Jae-Ha's foot didn't budge an inch. "I don't know how you got into the compound, but you have to leave. Now." Struggling to close the gate, she looked like she was a moment away from stomping on Jae-Ha's foot.

"But Hae-Dan said—"

"What is going on here?" a voice asked behind the girl. A hand grabbed the gate and a female face appeared behind the girl. It was an older woman with a lined, wrinkled face and dark eyes. She yanked the gate out of the girl's hand and pulled it open before grabbing the boy and dragging him into the yard. "You're making a scene. All of you, get in here before someone notices."

"Resa!" the boy exclaimed, "I was just doing what Hae-Dan said."

The girl clenched her fists. "They're strangers, they're going to get us in trouble!"

"Both of you, be quiet."

Yoon and Jae-Ha quickly moved through the gate before the woman could change her mind. She shut the gate behind them and glared at the small group. Her eyes flicked to Yoon for a moment and her expression softened.

"No wonder she did it…" the woman said under her breath, but Yoon heard her anyways. He stared at her, trying to decide if he should call everyone out on their weird behavior. What was it with them and looking at him like he was a ghost?

"Ma'am, we would like to talk with Mei, if we may," Jae-Ha said, "We aren't here to get anyone in trouble, I assure you. We have medicine as well."

"Well, you sure do look like trouble," she said, shaking her head. "But if Hae-Dan sent you here…"

"You can't be serious," the girl, Resa, snapped, "They're the reason she was hurt in the first place."

The woman turned toward Resa, and she shrunk back a little. "I think you should go back to your quarters."

"But—"

"Now."

The girl gave Jae-Ha and Yoon a final glare before walking toward the building.

"Come this way, and stay quiet," the woman said, gesturing toward them. They walked through the yard to a small shed in the back. There was a lock on the door, but the woman pulled out a key and unlocked it quickly. She slipped into the shed for a moment, and they could hear her talking softly with someone. Her eyes were dark and sad as she stepped back out and looked up at Jae-Ha and Yoon. "You can only stay for about ten minutes. Then the guards will be back, and no one's supposed to be in here."

"Why are you trusting us?" Yoon asked, feeling suspicious. Maybe they were going to trap them in the shed? It looked like Jae-Ha could probably kick a hole in it if it came to that but still.

The woman rolled her eyes. "You're the ones that broke into the compound. And we're not really trusting you."

"You're testing us, then?" Jae-Ha asked, an eyebrow raised.

She smirked and shrugged. "You could call it that." Pushing the door open, she gestured for them to go in. "Your time is running out."

Yoon and Jae-Ha shared a look, silently debating whether they should go through with this. With a quick nod, Jae-Ha made the decision for them and stepped into the shed.

It was dark, only lit by a single window high up on the wall. There was a pitiful moonlight glow, and Jae-Ha's eyes took a few moments to adjust. He sucked in a quick, sharp breath at the sight of Mei.

The young woman was chained up to a post in the middle of the room, her arms raised above her head and attached to an anchor point toward the top of the pole. It forced her to kneel by the pole. The only way she could rest was by leaning against the pole, but it wouldn't give her any comfort. Her dark hair spilled forward over her shoulder, brushing against the floor. Her shirt was ripped open, and her back was covered in dark red strips where she had been whipped. Chains ran from the bottom of the pole to the bands on her ankles, as if she would be able to escape anyways.

"Shit," Jae-Ha muttered under his breath, and in an instant he was beside her, his hand on her cheek. "Miss? Are you awake?"

She stirred and glanced over at him. The chains rattled as she pulled away from his touch. "It's Mei. Not miss." A shallow breath shook her voice, but she raised an eyebrow at him. "Care to tell me why you two tracked me down?"

Yoon stood at the doorway, eyes wide. How could someone do this to somebody else? Just for a little bit of disobedience?

"We thought you might get in trouble for what you did at the marketplace," Yoon said, "We…wanted to help."

There was a silent pause. "That's weird."

"Yes, well, we're not exactly normal," Jae-Ha said. His eyes were focused on the chains that kept Mei from moving, the ones that tethered her in place like a rabid dog. There was spark in her eyes as she met his gaze, one that reminded him of the fire her eyes had held in the marketplace.

"Not many people break into mansions to help a slave."

"I said we're not normal," Jae-Ha said. He started to move her hair back from her face, but she pulled away, making the chains clank. Something twisted in him, remembering how it felt to be held in place by heavy iron.

"Do you mind if I treat your back?" Yoon asked. He was rummaging around in his bag for herbs, but he stopped, looking worried. "Or would they notice that?"

"It's already been washed off," Mei said, shifting, "They'll expect it to be better in the morning. Tehru treated it, but our medicines aren't very potent." She rested her forehead on the pole. "Go ahead, if you want. I can't pay you back."

"You already did," Yoon said. He grabbed a couple pouches out of his bag and went to work making a poultice. "Why did you do that, anyways? In the market."

Mei sighed. "It was stupid. You reminded me of someone."

"It wasn't stupid," Jae-Ha said, "Not to us."

Yoon wanted to ask who he reminded her of, but he had work to do. They only had a few minutes, and they needed to make the most of it.

 


End file.
